Mantel added: “When I began the book I knew I had to do something very difficult,I had to interest the historians,I had to amuse the jaded palate of the critical establishment and most of all I had to capture the imagination of the general reader.”

Chairman of judges James Naughtie said: “Our decision was based on the sheer bigness of the book. The boldness of its narrative,its scene setting. The extraordinary way that Hilary Mantel has created what one of the judges has said was a contemporary novel,a modern novel,which happens to be set in the 16th Century. We thought it was an extraordinary piece of story-telling.”

Mantel was the bookmaker’s favourite to win the award. Ion Trewin,literary director of the Booker Prizes,said the last time a favourite walked off with the prize was Yann Martel’s ‘Life of Pi’ in 2002.

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